Thursday, July 9, 2009

Swallow Nest

Wednesday, July 9, we got to visit Swallow's Nest. This is where LeahJean has lived for the past 14 months. We got to visit all three homes. It was an amazing experience. Pam and Clay are real angels. They take these babies in, nurse them to good health and get them ready so they can be adopted. They have heart babies, cleft lip/palate, down syndrome, albino, limb indifference, club feet, blind, malnourished, etc. They truly are wonderful people. They have nannies in the baby home and older children's home to help care for the children. The nannies are wonderful with these children. They are very well cared for. You can tell that the nannies really love all the children. Pam keeps the new babies with her until they are well enough to go to the baby house. Right now she has three new babies. One is just back from the hospital where he had spinal bifida surgery. The other two babies are just a couple months old and weight between 5 and 6 pounds. It was a true blessing to get to experience what Pam and Clay are doing. Clay picked us up at the hotel and we took a taxi from the hotel to the main house, which is the office for Swallow's Nest. Then when walked with Clay and there daughter to the other two houses. LeahJean had the opportunity to live at both, the baby house and the older children's house. We got to see a part of Zhengzhou that we would have never gotten to see. It was wonderful. We saw the vegetable, fruit, meat markets, a yarn market. We got to see where Clay and Pam do most of there shopping, from food, diapers, clothes. We saw the hospital were the children get there immunizations. I feel so blessed to have gotten the opportunity to meet these amazing people, to see where LeahJean lived, and to see what Swallow's Nest is all about and what Pam and Clay are doing, as well as the Nannies that are working for them. We saw some beautiful children, some already have parents in the process of adopting them, some are still waiting. I pray that with the help of Swallow's Nest and Pam and Clay, that each and everyone of these children, that are their now and in the future, will find there parents. Pam and Clay, thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you do. You are a true blessing and it was an honor to meet you. I pray that we get the chance one day to see each other again. Once we get home I will post more pictures of the children and our tour through the city with Clay.Melissa

It's A Girl

Our Family

About Our Family

My husband, Keith, and I are in the process of adopting a little girl from China. This will make our third adoption from China and our 5th child. Heather is 20 and going to college to get a nursing degree. Sandy is 18. She will be going to college in the fall to major in Sports Medicine. Tanner is 4 1/2, adopted from Chaohu City, Anhui Province at the age of 10 months, healthy. Parker is 3 1/2, adopted from Nanjing City, Jingsu Province at the age of 2, cleft lip/palate third degree, hearing impaired, speech impaired, strambismus (cross eyes), and 12 months physically and developementally delayed. LeahJean, the little girl we are in the process of adopting is 3 1/4. She is deaf. We are so blessed. Keith and I are both employed with the USPS. I am a Postmaster and Keith is a Rural Mail Carrier. We are members of Bishop Baptist church, where Keith is a deacon. We have very strong beliefs in our Lord and Savior. We are very active and committed to our church and our Lord and Savior. We have been and will continue to raise our children in the church. We have put our faith in God in all we do and he continues to amaze me everyday with all he does for me and my family.